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The iconic Linda Evangelista is the muse for all seasons. She closed the show in this dress, one of my favourite moments ever. She owned it, she slayed it, and I have since been told it was a “fashion moment”—my first! This collection was inspired by the exotic exploits of Misia Sert [the Russian-born pianist and close friend of Coco Chanel who held lavish parties at her Paris salon at the height of the Roaring ’20s], and as Linda carved her way through the crowds, no one else existed. Jaws dropped. The audience looked on in awe, but they could only dream. Linda commanded her space like no other. The creative process spontaneously kicked in as it always does with Evangelista. She was in character, melting onto a rusty soldier’s unmade bed surrounded by salty sailors from an imaginary port, and there you have it, the image, captured forever for all to see. The feathers on the bustier were handdyed to match the early-morning dew on buttercups, a golden glow only she can work, and she did. Her freshly peroxided hair was a platinum memory of a bygone glamour. Linda, a dear and caring friend, owns this dress. She slept with it at the end of her bed, and I cannot begin to tell you what this means to me.

J